The artwork is a treat, but I really don't see what the fuss is about. Nothing about it strikes me as original in the slightest. I much prefer <em>Phonogram</em>; I may not be a big fan of Kieron Gillen, but he knows how to write, the bastard, and he did something particularly creative with a musical genre gone stale.

Emo and all its derivatives is a pretty despairing fashion movement, and I have no sympathy for any of them.

Just popping in to say thanks to everyone for trying out the book, whether you liked it or not.

I don't for one minute think that Astrid and Dave are "emo". When the popular kids at the party call them "fucking emos", it is a catch-all insult for kids who look a bit different to them. When I was that age, "goth" was what they called anyone who dressed goth, punk, whatever. It's kind of missing the point of the scene to think that it's an accurate term for the characters.

If you didn't grow up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, with no real excitement or scene were you felt you belonged, then you probably won't understand why Aubrey's shop was so exciting to the kids.

Anyway, once again, thanks everyone for picking up the book. Hopefully the story will keep you interested through 3 and 4. Remember Aubrey's speech in issue 2 reflects the status quo from several hundred years ago, so you've not got the whole story of the supernatural side of things.

By the way, I've just checked and there are a few issue 2s left at Diamond, so you can get your store to order one in for you.

Just read issue #2. So far the plot is a common formula. A regular person discovers a greater destiny through a previously unknown origin. It can be hard to find a high fantasy series that doesn't use this formula. Examples include Harry Potter and even the X-Men. That isn't saying it can't be done well. I found it to be enjoyable enough, and will continue buying it. Still I enjoyed Phonogram more. I found Phonogram concepts about magic and popular culture more innovative and interesting. I do enjoy the artwork.

The art is just wonderful, I've been totally blown away so far. Well done Mr. McKelvie! Such expressive faces! Beautiful.

The plot is, mmmm... not so good.

BUT! The writing IS very good. The dialogue and the characters are fabulous, and no-one seems to have mentioned this so far - but comedic timing is REALLY hard to do well in comic books and Jamie really nails it a couple of times in both issues. For me that was probably the most impressive thing.

So basically I'd have been happier with Jamie just writing and drawing a soap opera about suburban kids hanging out and doing nothing.

And Emo? Oh, holy balls can we just put that term away in the Idiot Box where it belongs? There is nothing at all Emo about this comic, the term is used with such machine-gun indiscriminacy it's nigh on meaningless anyway, and has been since it first reached any kind of popular use.

But sorry joe.distort it can be a noun if someone wants to use it as such.

(Since I'm passing I'm always surprised by the "I hate how they were excited about seeing a clothes shop open in their nowhere town". I dare say that empathy should be able to transfer it to their own interests. If - say - you're a teenage comic geek, living in a nowhere town, how excited would you be to see a comic shop open? I'd have been equally excited to have ANY shop open in the shithole town I was from.)

I think that Jamie McKelvie is one of them there artists you need to watch.

SG is the first book he has written and as such find that in itself an amazing feat. Whether or not you dig his plot, the characterization and the dialogue is fantastic. Plus, in case you didn't notice, he can draw as well.(as in like a MF'er)

I read Phonogram, and between that and this, he's two for two in my book.

It is a rare thing where I will try everything a creator puts out after only reading one or two projects, especially since one of them isn't even finished yet, but I'd try anything he does. (Of course he is going to test me on that X-MEN thing he's doing. lol)

I guess what I'm saying is I cannot imagine anyone looking at Jamie's stuff and not falling for it like Natalie Portman.

We have a lot of sucess with this book, selling out and re-ordering copies to keep on the rack, but again we have a disporportionate amount of female subscribers and walk ins, a dn lot of Vertigo indy readers too, Phonogram did very well too and the trade is still selling, Vinyl Underground is a nother one we can't keep in stock.